Present invention relates to a printing apparatus and a printing system having a function for downloading an object (program, information, subroutine etc.) from an external device and utilizing the downloaded object and a control method for the apparatus and the system.
A printing apparatus that downloads an object from an external device and utilizes the downloaded object generally has a downloader which performs downloading and manages information on downloaded object (download information). The printing apparatus performs further processing using the downloaded object.
However, in this printing apparatus, only the down loader can access the download information, further, the downloader does not forward the download information to the other programs for executing other functions. For this reason, the programs for other functions cannot refer to the download information, and a host computer and a user do not know the content of the data downloaded to the printing apparatus, which causes troubles in various processings and operation.
For example, when the host computer is to output print data, which is to be processed by using a download object, to the printing apparatus, the host computer first outputs the download object to the printing apparatus. Even if the printing apparatus already has the same download object, the host computer has no means to confirm the existence of the download object in the apparatus, therefore, wasteful overlapped downloading is performed.
Further, to utilize functions provided by download function or from an extended ROM (e.g., an emulator program), the printing apparatus must ensure a memory area for downloading. That is, to perform plural types of downloadings, a memory area corresponding to the respective downloadings is necessary. In this case, the memory always has a memory area assigned to even unused downloading, which lowers utilization efficiency of memory.
The present invention has been made in consideration of the above situation, and has as its object to provide a printing apparatus and system which utilizes a download object and which enables programs other than a downloader to refer to downloaded object information and a method for controlling the apparatus and system.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a printing apparatus capable of informing a user or an external device of the content of download information and a control method for the apparatus.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a printing apparatus which prevents overlapped downloading from a host computer to the printing apparatus by informing a host computer of download information and a control method for the apparatus.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a printing apparatus which performs improved management of memory assignment to a download program, thus simplifies memory management, saves memory capacity, and can change a download program and a program provided from an extended ROM easier.
According to the present invention, the above objects are attained by providing a printing apparatus comprising: load means for downloading an object from the outside of the apparatus; storage means for storing information on the object downloaded by the load means; read-out means for reading the information stored in the storage means; and output means for outputting the information read out by the read-out means.
According to the present invention having the above construction, the read-out means reads information on a downloaded object out of the storage means, and the output means outputs the read object to various devices each having a predetermined function.
Preferably, the output means outputs the information read out by the read-out means to an external device connected to the printing apparatus. This allows the external device to recognize the downloaded object and use the information in processings by various external devices.
Preferably, the output means performs display-output based on the information read out by the read-out means. This enables the printing apparatus to provide a user with the information on the downloaded object.
Preferably, the output means performs print-output based on the information read out by the read-out means. This enables the printing apparatus to provide the user with the information on the downloaded object in the form of printout.
Preferably, the object is a patch program for partially changing a program installed in the printing apparatus. For example, an installed program including a bug can be corrected.
Preferably, the object is image data formed at the outside of the printing apparatus. For example, overlay data can be stored as an object, and this can increase the processing speed when the overlay data is used for printing a plurality of pages.
Further, the above objects are attained by providing a printing system comprising: an information processing apparatus and a printing apparatus connected to each other and can communicate with each other; storage means for, in the printing apparatus, storing information on a downloaded object; transfer means for reading the information stored in the storage means and transferring the information to the information processing apparatus; decision means for, upon transferring print data in the information processing apparatus, deciding whether an object necessary for processing the print data is available or not, based on the information transferred by the transfer means; and download means for, if the decision means decides that the object necessary for processing the print data is not available, downloading the object to the printing apparatus.
According to the present invention having the above construction, the information processing apparatus determines whether the object necessary for processing print data is available or not, and if the object is not available, downloads the necessary object to the printing apparatus. As the necessary object is downloaded only when required, unnecessary downloading is prevented.
Further, the above objects are attained by providing a printing apparatus comprising: load means for downloading an object from the outside of the printing apparatus; ensuring means for ensuring an individual area for the object downloaded by the load means, from a memory; and execution means for executing the processing of the object using a common area ensured on the memory in advance for a plurality of objects and the individual area ensured by the ensuring means.
According to the present invention having the above construction, a storage area for storing data used in executing a downloaded object program is commonly used for execution of a plurality of download programs. Thus, work areas respectively assigned for the object programs can be saved. A work area uniquely for an object program is ensured at each downloading, however, the unique work area is smaller than the common storage area. This simplifies management of memory areas used for downloaded programs and reduces memory capacity.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the figures thereof.